Surah Sad
Contents
Ś.: By the Recital, full of reminder! [38:1]
But those who scoff are proud and divisive. [38:2]
How many generations have We destroyed before, and they cried out, with no time to flee? [38:3]
So they have thought it strange that a warner has come to them from their very midst; and they who scoff have said, “This is a lying conjuror! [38:4]
“Has he made the deities into one God? This is indeed an astonishing thing!” [38:5]
And the chiefs among them have gone their way, as if to say, “Go and remain faithful to your gods. This is surely a thing devised. [38:6]
“We have never heard this among people these days; it is only a fabrication. [38:7]
“What? Has the reminder been revealed to him in particular?” They are in doubt about My Reminder; but they haven’t tasted My punishment yet! [38:8]
Or do they have the treasuries of the mercy of your Lord, the Mighty, the Generous? [38:9]
Or do they have dominion over the heavens and the earth and what is between them? Then let them ascend in those ways*. [38:10]
They are an army from the confederates who will be vanquished there. [38:11]
Before them, the people of Noah rejected the truth, and so did the ‘Ad, and Pharaoh, lord of stakes, [38:12]
and Thamud, and the people of Lot, and the inhabitants of the wood— they are the confederates. [38:13]
All of them rejected the messengers, so My punishment was justified. [38:14]
And these have in store for them nothing but a single blast, which cannot be postponed. [38:15]
And they have said, “Our Lord! Hasten our sentence for us before the day of reckoning!” [38:16]
Calmly endure what they say, and remember Our servant David, the strong; he was always turning to God: [38:17]
We constrained the mountains to praise God with him in the evening and the morning, [38:18]
and the birds, gathered together; every one turned to God. [38:19]
And We fortified his rule, and We gave him wisdom and judgment. [38:20]
Has the story of the disputants reached you? They climbed a wall into the prayer niche: [38:21]
When they barged in on David, he was alarmed by them. They said, “Do not fear. It is a pair of disputants; one of us has wronged the other. So judge between us justly, within the proper bounds, and guide us to the straight way. [38:22]
“This is my brother; he has ninety-nine ewes, while I have one; yet he says ‘Entrust her to me,’ speaking forcefully to me.” [38:23]
[David] said, “He has indeed wronged you by demanding your ewe in addition to his ewes. And many associates do indeed treat each other unjustly, except those who have faith and do good works; but how few are they!” And David thought We had tried him, and he sought forgiveness from his Lord, and he prostrated himself bowing, and turned repentant to God. [38:24]
And We forgave him for that. For he did indeed have nearness to Us, a beautiful resort. [38:25]
O David, We made you a deputy on earth, so judge between people by truth without following desire, lest it deflect you from the way of God. For those who stray from the way of God there is severe agony, because they have forgotten the day of reckoning. [38:26]
We did not create the sky and earth and all that is between them in vain. That is the opinion of ingrates. And woe to the ungrateful, on account of hellfire. [38:27]
Shall We treat the faithful who do good like those who make trouble on earth? Shall We treat the conscientious like the shameless? [38:28]
A blessed Book We have sent you, that they may contemplate its signs, and that those with intelligence may be reminded. [38:29]
And We gave David Solomon, a truly excellent servant, for he was devoutly repentant. [38:30]
The finest steeds were set before him at evening tide, [38:31]
and he said, “I love the love of the excellent out of remembrance of my Lord.” Then when they were concealed; [38:32]
“Return them to me!” And he began to rub their shanks and necks. [38:33]
And We did indeed try Solomon; We put a body on his throne, and then he turned to God: [38:34]
He said, “My Lord! Forgive me, and grant me dominion that is not to be for anyone after me; for it is You who gives.” [38:35]
So We subjected the wind to him, it flowing at his command, as a gentle breeze, wherever he allotted; [38:36]
and the demons, every builder and diver; [38:37]
and others, bound in shackles. [38:38]
“This is Our gift: so be liberal or withhold, without calculation.” [38:39]
For he did indeed have nearness to Us, a beautiful resort. [38:40]
And remember Our devotee Job: he called to his Lord, “Satan has afflicted me with calamity and torment!” [38:41]
“Stamp with your foot: here’s a cool place to wash, and drink”— [38:42]
and We restored his family to him, and a like number with them, as mercy from Us, and reminder for the rational. [38:43]
“And take a handful of grass and strike with it, and do not break your oath.” We did indeed find him patient, an excellent servant; for he kept resorting to God. [38:44]
And remember Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, endowed with ability and vision: [38:45]
We purified them by a pure quality, remembrance of paradise; [38:46]
and they were to Us among the chosen, the best. [38:47]
And remember Ishmael and Elisha, and the holder of responsibility; every one of them was one of the best. [38:48]
This is a reminder; for there is a beautiful resort for the conscientious: [38:49]
eternal gardens, whose doors are open to them; [38:50]
where they may recline, wherein they may call for fruit in abundance, and drink; [38:51]
and with them will be demure females of the same age. [38:52]
This is what you are promised for the day of reckoning: [38:53]
this is, indeed, Our bounty, without end. [38:54]
There it is. But for transgressors there is an evil resort: [38:55]
hell, where they will burn; a wretched bed to lie upon. [38:56]
There it is: then they will experience it, boiling water and purulent ooze, [38:57]
and more of like kind. [38:58]
Here is a troop rushing headlong with you; there is no welcome for them. They will burn in the fire. [38:59]
They will say, “But it is you! There is no welcome for you! You have brought this on us! What a miserable abode!” [38:60]
They will say, “Our Lord! Whoever brought this on us, double his punishment in the fire!” [38:61]
And they will say, “What is the matter with us, that we do not see men we used to count among the evil? [38:62]
“Did we deride them, or ignore them?” [38:63]
That is indeed appropriate— the mutual recriminations of inmates of the fire. [38:64]
Say, “I am only a herald; and there is no god but the God, the One, the Omnipotent, [38:65]
“Lord of the skies and the earth and all that is between them, the Mighty, the Forgiving.” [38:66]
Say, “It is a message of supreme importance: [38:67]
“You ignore it. [38:68]
“I have no knowledge of the higher angels when they debate: [38:69]
“It has only been revealed to me that I am a plain warner.” [38:70]
When your Lord said to the angels, “I am creating a human being of clay; [38:71]
“so when I have fashioned him, and breathed into him from My spirit, then fall prostrate before him,” [38:72]
the angels bowed, all of them together, [38:73]
except Iblis, who considered himself too important, and was one of the unfaithful. [38:74]
“Iblis! What has prevented you from bowing to what I have created with My own two hands? Do you think you’re too important? Are you one of the exalted?” [38:75]
“I am better than he,” said Iblis: “You made me of fire, but made him of clay.” [38:76]
“Then get out of here, for you are rejected! [38:77]
“And My curse will be upon you until the day of requital!” [38:78]
“Then give me time, ‘till the day they’re resurrected.” [38:79]
“You will indeed be one of those given time, [38:80]
“until the last day, whose time is predetermined.” [38:81]
“Then, by Your Power, I will lead them all astray, [38:82]
“except those among them who are purified servants of Yours.” [38:83]
“That’s the truth! And truth I tell you: [38:84]
“I will fill hell with you and everyone who follows you.” [38:85]
Say, “I do not ask you any compensation for this; and I am not a pretender. [38:86]
“This is but a reminder for all worlds: [38:87]
“and you will know its message after a while.” [38:88]